DEVELOPMENT OF VITAMIN A DELIVERY SYSTEM (3/30/78-3/31/78)

Evaluatn team visited field projects, and reviewed proj paper. Team feels proj is an example of what can be accomplished in a short time when gifted leadership, cooperatn, dedicatn, and adequate resources can be suitably harmonized. Basic-line studies have been carried out on schedule which have provided LDC"s with the necessary informatn to implemnt well-orientated operational programs; massive dose & multiple approaches have been successfully employed; 3 major summarizing papers have been produced by experts concerning metabolism, functn, and food fortificatn of Vitamin A; a variety of teaching aids for both professional & lay persons have been devel; and yearly meetings of the International Vitamin A Consultative Group (IVACG) have made a significant impact on world health. Although project was judged highly successful, Vitamin A deficiency remains one of the world"s major nutritional probs. Developmt of nutritional awareness & programs in LDC"s will take time. Team feels further project success would result if: (1) more focus were placed on multiple Vitamin A approaches, (2) techniques for determining marginal Vitamin A deficiencies were developed; (3) educational programs & workshops were initiated for both lay & professional persons; (4) surveillance & procedures were standardized & continued several years after the introduction of a technique to obtain adequate data; (5) USAID more closely followed IVACG"s recommendations; (6) common foods could be identified as vehicles for fortification programs; (7) more local institutions became involved; (8) more attention were given to the adoptation or development of management systems for ongoing control and evaluation of intervention strategies; (9) initiation of a new project in the application of educational & sociocultural methods for improving Vitamin A nutriture were established; (10) flexible and rapid mechanisms for responding to country requests were developed; and (11) project were renewed another three years.